Can I place the aliquot jar inside the dough container?
That is fine, and it actually helps. Keeping the aliquot right next to or inside the same container means the sample and the main dough sit at the same temperature and ferment at the same rate, which is what makes the reading reliable. The one thing to watch is using room-temperature water so the small sample does not race ahead of or lag behind the main dough.
Answered by Hendrik, The Bread Code
From the book
While the aliquot sample has enabled me to consistently bake great loaves, there are limitations to consider. It’s crucial to use a cylindrical-shaped container to properly judge the dough’s size increase. Furthermore, it is essential to use room-temperature water when making your dough. If the water is hotter, your aliquot, due to its smaller size, will cool down faster. The aliquot will ferment more slowly than your dough. Similarly, when you use too cold water, your sample will heat up faster than the large dough mass. In that case, your aliquot is ahead of your main dough. You would probably stop the fermentation too early. Make sure to keep the dough and aliquot close together. Some people even place the aliquot in the same container. This makes sure that both are in the same environment temperature. The aliquot is also less reliable if your ambient temperature changes a lot during the day. In that case, your aliquot will adapt faster than your main dough. The readings will always be slightly off. If you are making a large chunk of dough with more than 10 kg of flour, the jar is also less reliable. The biochemical reactions happening inside your dough will heat it. The fermentation itself is exothermic which means that it produces heat.
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